Do you already have what you need to get your startup off the ground? There’s plenty to think about when you begin operations, but it’s valuable to stop and take the time to do a quick entrepreneurial inventory and make sure you are properly equipped to compete in the wide-open marketplace.
Start with the Basics
It might seem blatantly obvious, but some folks dive into business so quickly they forget to have more than a single laptop and a home office. If you can get by on that, more power to you. But for the grand majority of owners, the minimum is two full-scale computers, at least as many laptops and enough office space to accommodate yourself and one other person. That other person could be an assistant, partner or occasional temp you pay to help with payroll or other chores.
The fact remains: you need to have the PC fire-power and enough physical space to get your work done. When renting an office, err on the larger side. As your business grows, you’ll be needing the extra room, anyway.
Online Funding
Money makes the business world go round, so make sure you have a few sources scoped out for obtaining needed financial resources. When shopping for the lowest interest rates and the best deals, remember that loans from Canadian lenders are accessible online. From the comfort of your home office or tiny rental space, you can compare dozens of offers from reliable, trusted banks and other institutions.
For many new owners, an hour per day in the hunt for funding is time well spent. Not only will you become familiar with the major and minor industry players, but you’ll be able to summarize your application data for easy input with each inquiry.
Professional Website
Even if you don’t sell anything online, put up a website that helps local, national, or international clients find you. These days, anyone can get a basic commercial website up and running in just a few minutes and for just a few dollars per month. Don’t neglect this seemingly unimportant chore because most of your prospective customers will want to see your company data just to verify your existence.
Skype
If you’re not already on Skype, get to it. There’s no cost and setup is relatively simple. You’ll want to purchase a separate camera rather than use the one that came with your computer. Consider spending around $50 for a high-quality product that offers a professional-looking image when you visually interact with clients via the popular Skype app.
An AdWords Account
There are other ways of advertising online, and you’ll probably use several of them eventually, but AdWords is a quick, simple way to get your goods and services in front of millions of potential customers. Spend a few hours learning how to write effective, short ads and post them onto the app. In no time, you’ll realize that AdWords is shockingly uncomplicated and powerful. Make sure to limit the amount of money you spend during the first few campaigns, until you get a good feel for what works and what doesn’t.
Chris Mcdonald has been the lead news writer at complete connection. His passion for helping people in all aspects of online marketing flows through in the expert industry coverage he provides. Chris is also an author of tech blog Area19delegate. He likes spending his time with family, studying martial arts and plucking fat bass guitar strings.